Ray Turner hopes the lessons learned from two failed play-off campaigns will help Faversham to a historic promotion at Worthing on Saturday.

Turner reached five years at the Salters Lane helm last Thursday and celebrated in style as Town upset all the odds to finish fifth in Ryman League, Division 1 South on Saturday, taking advantage of a points deduction for Corinthian Casuals and Herne Bay’s 2-1 win at Hastings and beating Hythe 4-0 themselves.

The Lilywhites made it count by coming from behind to win at second-placed Dorking Wanderers on Tuesday night, courtesy of Charley Robertson’s goal a minute from time.

Turner said: “I am thrilled. The performance showed so much maturity. We got stronger and kept our belief.

“We went a goal behind and were never going to do it easy. We started to look more like ourselves. It’s been a remarkable season, to get the late goal, we wouldn’t have done it any other way, the way it’s gone.”

Turner said he wanted his side to “give it a go” at Worthing – who thrashed Hythe 7-0 in their semi-final on Tuesday.

He added: “Every week has been remarkable. I couldn’t have got much lower after (losing the penultimate game against East Grinstead) but I’m now presiding over a side that’s done me and the club proud and got to the final.”

Faversham lost at Maidstone in the 2013 final and exited at home to Merstham on penalties last year and Turner said: “I learned a lot from both of those games. I said to the players ever since the news about Corinthian Casuals came out everything has just slotted into place. Even going back to Dorking felt right. We made mistakes when we lost 5-1 there in January but learnt from that experience and didn’t make them again.”

The game is set to be the last in a Faversham shirt for Tuesday’s hero Charley Robertson who relocates to the North West for family reasons this summer.

Turner said: “I am proud of him but also our part in developing him. He has become a formidable player.

“He will be motivated to hopefully finish on a high and I wouldn’t be surprised if he did something special.

“I certainly hope it’s not the last game he ever plays in a Faversham shirt and that circumstances might change one day.”